Something is getting into my chicken coop

[Chris142]

My chickens are in two 10x10x6 dog kennels I connected together. It's sealed on all 6 sides with chicken wire. I see no way for something to get to them.

Got home from work yesterday and found 4 mutilated birds.

Got that cleaned up. Went around the cage and didn't see any place an animal bigger than a mouse could get in.

Put the 3 remaining birds in one kennel and went to bed.

Got up this morning and found a bird completly missing.

Looked all around and no signs of entry.

I called a neighbor Incase I missed a spot and he didn't find anything either.

I'm at a loss. I have no idea what or how something is getting into the kennel.

 

[Chris142]

Pix

 

[KGMtech]

Do ferrets kill poultry?

 

[Chris142]

Do ferrets kill poultry?

Dunno. No ferrets around here

 

[Warstud]

Buy A Game Cam

 

[Rand]

29$ wyze cam? I suspect along the ground somewhere but if you cant see it in person I doubt seeing it in pics.

 

[walterjay]

I suspect skunk or racoon through the roof screening. Sorry for the loss. I have been through this as well.

 

[Trashman]

I can't help with the missing bird, but raccoons can get their filthy paws inside and tear a chicken up pretty good just by getting their arms through the chicken wire. Not sure if you have raccoons in your neck of the woods, but they are evil little creatures. Just a thought, not sure if this applies to your situation.

 

[spasm3]

Small raccoon or weasel through the roof.

 

[MotorFan]

The killer is likely entering via the top/roof, you forgot to cover it with the same tight mesh chicken wire you used on the sides of the enclosure.

 

[c502cid]

Hawk?

 

[Chris142]

The killer is likely entering via the top/roof, you forgot to cover it with the same tight mesh chicken wire you used on the sides of the enclosure.

I never realized that they could get in that way. That was to keep the hawks out

 

[Dinoburner]

Of the many predators the weasel is suspect here.

 

[Jdeere562]

Cover the top with finer mesh screen.

 

[PWMDMD]

Weasels…we have chickens and my wife is obsessed with weasels. She made weasel-proof with hardware cloth. Basically, every hole no matter how small has to be covered.

 

[HemiBenny]

Bobcats climbing the fence and going through the top? Looks big enough for a small cat to get through.

 

[Passport1]

A chupacabra can do that

 

[Chris142]

Bobcats climbing the fence and going through the top? Looks big enough for a small cat to get through.

1.75x 3 in?

 

[HemiBenny]

1.75x 3 in?

Looking at the 1st picture, the gaps look bigger than that and I assumed it may be big enough for a small bobcat to squeeze through.

 

[vavavroom]

Do ferrets kill poultry?

Yes, weasels and stoats, too.